Birmingham's Kashmiri population voice anger after Article 370 scrapped

KASHMIRI community leaders in Birmingham on Monday (12) called for a boycott of Indian products and Bollywood films over anger at India stripping their homeland of its special status.

To express their anger over the fate of their homeland, the Kashmiri community in Birmingham will hold a protest on August 15 outside the Indian consulate in the Jewellery Quarter.

City councillor Majid Mahmood said Kashmiris in the region want to see pressure exerted on Indian prime minister Narendra Modi over his decision to strip Kashmir of its special status.

"People are disgusted with what has happened and the stance of the Indian Government," Mahmood was quoted as saying. "We are calling for solidarity from the international community and want to see pressure exerted on Prime Minister Modi over his actions.

"Locally we are urging everyone to boycott Indian goods, including watching Bollywood films and unsubscribing from Indian TV channels - anything that could impact on the Indian economy."

City councillor Waseem Zaffar on Monday (12) posted a video from his ancestral village in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, saying Eid festivities were overshadowed by despair.

"It's incredibly worrying," said Zaffar. "Allegedly the biggest democracy in the world has militarised Indian occupied Kashmir with thousands and thousands of extra armed forces, and forced a communications blackout."

Urging the international community to act, he added: "You cannot remain silent, you cannot be muted - the people of Kashmir need you to speak up."

On Sunday (11), leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn slammed India's revocation of Article 370 in a tweet that read: “The situation in Kashmir is deeply disturbing. Human rights abuses taking place are unacceptable. The rights of the Kashmiri people must be respected and UN resolutions implemented."

British Pakistani Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi, meanwhile, called on British prime minister Boris Johnson to "strongly condemn the actions of the Indian government" and its "illegal and unconstitutional revocation of Article 370 to annex Kashmir."